Sunday, November 4--Psalm 146

All Saints' Sunday

This Sunday, being the closest to November 1 ("All Saints' Day"), is the Sunday we set aside to remember those who has gone on before us this past year. 

We will also focus our worship on Psalm 146.  I will be seeking to inspire and instruct us in "How to Vote on November 6th." 

So, in preparation for this worship experience, I encourage you to read Psalm 146 every day. Consider these questions (and share some of your thoughts with the rest of us on this site):

• What stands out to you in this passage? 
• How might God be speaking to you? 
• How might God be speaking to our congregation? 
• How might God be speaking to our nation?

I would greatly appreciate your insights this week!

Finally ... (Ephesians 6:10-20

"Finally," Paul begins this passage from Ephesians 6. We are finally at the end of our journey through the letter to the churches of Asia Minor. And it's not just that the letter writer is finally at the end of the epistle. It is that he is finally at the point to which he has been building.

We are to "put on the full armor of God." We are, the writer believes, in a battle--not just any battle--but the ultimate battle of good versus evil. And as soldiers in this battle, we are to wear the appropriate armor, namely, the armor of God.

What is this armor? Well, the writer says, it consist of things like the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet "fitted with righteousness," shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit. The thing is, what does this mean for those of us in the church today? It's a lot of figurative language. What does it mean for you and me?

What do you think?

Sunday, October 14, 2012--Ephesians 6:10-20

I confess . . . I have forgotten about this blog site.  But, I'm back.  No more dementia for me.  I apologize for my forgetfulness and recommit to posting here regularly.  I had intended the following schedule:  Monday (early Tuesday)--initial post for the week.  Wednesday--stage 2 development.  Friday--stage 3 development.

This is stage 1 for October 14--

Consider: This is our final worship from the series on Ephesians.  The letter to the Ephesians concludes with a stirring exhortation. These early believers are urged to "be strong in the Lord" (6:10), no small accomplishment, particularly for a church whose leaders are "in chains" (6:20). How is it possible for these struggling believers to "persevere" (6:18)? 

The writer uses the metaphor of dressing for combat. Christians are blessed with some wonderful defensive armament like "the whole armor of God" (6:11, 13); the "belt of truth" and the "breastplate of righteousness" (6:14); "shoes" (6:15); the "shield of faith" (6:16); and the "helmet of salvation" (6:17). The image is of a warrior dressing for combat. Note that most of the armament is defensive, rather than offensive, in nature. The clothing is for defense, resistance, rather than for launching an attack.

This metaphor of clothing appears elsewhere in the New Testament. In Romans 13 Paul speaks not only of putting on "the armor of light" (Rom 13:12) but also urges his readers to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom 13:14). This Sunday's worship will be a development of this image of putting on clothing, dressing for combat. Clothing is not a superficial covering; it is also an expression of who we are and who we want to be.

"Put on the whole armor of God.

Sunday, August 15. Ephesians 1:15-23

This second half of the first chapter of Ephesians is considered by some the author's "thanksgiving prayer report" to the churches of Asia Minor (specifically named: Ephesus).  This prayer is both thanksgiving--"I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks ..." (vs. 15-16)--and petition--"I pray that ..." (vs. 17). 

Though the entire first half of the epistle (chapters 1-3) may very well be Paul's (assuming Pauline authorship) prayer of thanksgiving and petition for his readers for their "salvation," we will isolate this small section to direct our worship on this Sunday.  I am intrigued by a comment by Pheme Perkins (Ephesians from The New Interpreter's Bible Commentary. Nashville: Abingdon Press. 2000).  Perkins writes, "Ephesians' thanksgiving prayer tells us something else about the genuinely successful church. The people in such a church have a goal, a destination.  And because they know where they are going, they are people of hope." (p. 386)

For some time now, I have struggled with our future as a congregation at Willow Street UCC.  It's not that we can't have a viable future as a church.  No, the concern is more a lack of vision--do we know where we're going?  Do we have a goal, a destination?  Our goals should determine how we live as a congregation:  our worship, our programs, our outreach, how we spend our money.

One of Paul's themes seem to be "faith, hope, and love; the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13, the "Love Chapter")  All three--faith and love (vs. 15) and hope (vs. 18) are mentioned in this passage.  So, I'm considering dividing our worship again into three parts:  "FAITH," "HOPE," and "LOVE." (I'm not sure I'll keep that same order.)

So, we'll consider faith.  What is faith?  In what do we place our faith?  How do we live our faith day to day?  How do we exhibit the type of faith that Paul would have "heard about" (vs. 15)?

Love.  In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes, "the greatest of these is love."  In this passage he thanks God for the Ephesians' "love of the saints."  How do we best express our love for one another in the church?  What about toward those outside the church?

Hope.  When one considers the decline in the mainline Churches (and in many of the evangelical Churches as well), it's hard to have hope for the church.  Within our congregation, we are stagnant in our numerical growth (using average worship attendance as an indicator).  Combining this with the concern that are offerings are running significantly behind our expenditures (so that we are cannibalizing our "endowment" resources), there is a finite life expectancy for our church. What is our hope?  Well, Paul's statement is "so that you may know the hope to which he has called you" (vs. 18, tying hope to our calling.  That takes us back to the questions, do we know where we're going?  What is our calling?  What is our destination?

This is where I am today, Tuesday, August 7.  Where are you in your understanding of this passage, especially as God may be using this passage to speak to us at Willow Street UCC?

Blessings,
Ron

Sunday, March 11: Lent 3. Exodus 20:1-17

            It cycles through the national news every year, two or three:  a legal challenge or discussion on what to do with the Ten Commandments.  Of course, the discussion isn’t about keeping the Big Ten—how we might live them in today’s society, for example.  No, the discussion is always about where and how to display them!  I just have to wonder: is this what God wants of people of faith?  Is this what is important—how and where we display our religious/ethical laws? Does this matter?

            Surely the Decalogue should mean something more than a wall (or yard) adornment. 

            And, perhaps, this is why Exodus 20 appears in the lectionary readings during Lent this year.  (And also during Pentecost of year A.)  As a time of reflection and examination of our spiritual journeys, Lent is also a time of repentance and confession.  As part of this journey, it is important that we determine just what we’ll do with these Ten Commandments in our lives.

            But, aren’t we, as followers of Christ, free from the Old Testament law?  Does The Big Ten even apply to us anymore? These questions have troubled us Christians for millennia. Are we under law (the Ten Commandments) or are we under grace (the Gospel)?  Yet, I wonder if this is a valid distinction.  When it comes to this matter of law and gospel, as Marva Dawn says, “The order is always law-gospel-law.”  Attempts to fulfill God’s law drive us into the gracious arms of God. We realize that we can’t fulfill the law, at least not on our own. In despair, we are driven empty-handed into God’s grace. God’s grace is that which saves. God’s grace does something about the problem between us and God.

            But here is where the proper response to such loving grace is law. Now we are eager to do God’s will in our lives, not because we are trying to get somewhere with God, but because in God’s grace, we have already arrived. Christian ethics is always responsive. We do what we do, not to initiate some sort of positive relationship with God, but we do what we do as response to God’s coming to us in Jesus Christ.

            Preacher/teacher William Willamon has challenged my faith this week by causing me to look at where these laws are to fit in my daily living.  What about you?

Sunday, March 4th: Lent 2. Mark 8:31-38

            In my busyness to get ready to leave for a sabbatical, I must confess that I am not working as far ahead on worship planning as I would like.  Indeed, I used a reference to this passage (actually, it’s Matthew parallel) in yesterday’s sermon not knowing that it is this week’s Gospel reading.  So, perhaps the messages will be more connected than I could have possibly planned it!

            Mark 8:34-35 tells us: “He [Jesus] called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ³⁵For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.”

            Defining that “cross” we are to take up and bear has been the subject of many a sermon.  What does it mean to us today?  How might our lives (Lancaster County, PA folks) look if we were to “deny [ourselves] and take up [our] cross and follow [Jesus]”?

            Brian Stoffregen, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Yuma, Arizona, posts a weekly exegetical commentary on the Revised Common Lectionary’s gospel reading in an online discussion group on ecunet.org called “Gospel Notes for Next Sunday.” A commentary he make on this passage intrigues me.  Indeed, I wonder if this is the “gospel” to me today.  He writes, “I am more inclined to see the ‘taking up of one’s cross’ to be a picture of the criminal (or an unlucky bystander, see 15:21) carrying the cross through the city, rather than the actual crucifixion. As I understand it, the act of carrying the cross was a public display of guilt which resulted in ridicule and scorn from the people. With this understanding, the phrase might be paraphrased: ‘Be willing to publicly display your faith and suffer the consequences that such a display might evoke.’ Often, our reluctance to publicly display our faith is the fear of what others might think or do ‘to me.’ Rather than denying self, we seek to protect it.”

Something to think about, don't you agree?

The Temptations of Christ, Pt 2 (Matthew 4:1-11)

Thank you, Tom and Gloria, for your comments.  I once asked a group of emotionally disturbed juvenile delinquent boys to "draw a picture of God."  The images I got were interesting, but I wonder what they would have done with "draw Satan"?  Since we have so many caricatures of Satan, it might have been easier in some ways.

Gloria, too, makes a good point.  There is so much to say about each of the temptations--way too much for one message.  So, ...

As I was reading comments by N. T. Wright, I came across this: "The temptations we all face, day by day and at critical moments of decision and vocation in our lives, may be very different from those of Jesus, but they have exactly the same point.  They are not simply trying to entice us into committing this or that sin.  They are trying to distract us, to turn us aside, from the path of servanthood to which our baptism has commissioned us." (Matthew, 20)

Can't all three of Jesus' temptations be seen as attempts at distracting?  An attempt to turn him aside from the path he (and/or God?) has chosen for his life?  Turning stones to bread might have been the temptation to be distracted by our own physical needs/comforts. There is nothing (morally) wrong with eating (or sleeping, or recreating, or ???), but our call to follow Jesus is neither always comfortable nor easy.  Discipleship places demands upon our resources:  time, talent, energy, money, etc. 

Couldn't the temptation to "put God to the test" be the distraction of lack of faith, of always questioning.  Though Socrates might have been right in saying "the unexamined life is not worth living," there comes a point at which we must avow, "this I believe; help my unbelief."  I wonder if this, too, isn't the distraction of doubting our giftedness from God:  "I can't do that!" or in the case of a church, "We can't do that!"--not having faith that God would never call us to do that which we truly can't.

And couldn't the final temptation, "all these will be yours, if," be the distraction of seeking another (seemingly easier?) way than the way of servanthood?  I once knew a songwriter, Don Francisco, who wrote: "You Gotta Serve Somebody/It may be the devil, it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody."  He's right, I believe.  And it seems we're taught a malicious lie that serving Satan is easier (better) than serving God.

In short, I tend to be leaning away from 3 temptations, to 1--that temptation is that which (Gloria is right, not "who which" but "that which") distracts us from the path of servanthood.  And yes, Tom, I don't think we can draw Satan--I'm not sure we have the capability of making him (or her) enticing or beautiful enough!